Anabolic androgenic steroids: use and perceived use in nonathlete college students

OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the use and perceived use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) among nonathlete college students. PARTICIPANTS: The authors surveyed a sample of 485 nonathlete college students at a major metropolitan university. METHODS: They administered a survey on use and perceived use of AAS to the students. RESULTS: Forty-two participants (9%) reported using AAS (37 men, 5 women). Seniors were the most likely to use AAS (36%), and freshman the least likely (7%). Thirty-four percent of nonusers and 41% of users indicated they knew between 1 and 5 AAS users. Of the total sample, 36% perceived that 5% to 10% of nonathlete college students used AAS. Reasons for AAS use were because friends were using (7%), a desire to enhance physical appearance (45%), and a desire to increase physical performance (48%). CONCLUSIONS: These findings may have significant implications in planning strategic preventive educational programs, and health educators should target incoming college freshmen with the intent of dissuading AAS use.     

Women's perceived stress and well-being following voluntary and involuntary relocation

This study investigated the relationship between voluntary and involuntary relocation and women's perceptions of stress and amount of control, as well as their satisfaction with personal well-being. Results indicated that involuntary movers felt significantly less control and had lower levels of satisfaction with the relationship with their spouses than did voluntary movers. Educational level and employment status were also explored in relation to the dependent variables. Women with high school/trade school education had significantly higher levels of perceived stress, feelings of less control, and lower levels of satisfaction with family life than women with more education.This paper was supported by the Colorado State University and University of Wyoming Experiment Stations and published as Scientific Series Paper No. 290.Paula P. Makowsky received her M.S. from Colorado State University. She is currently a Counselor, Catholic Social Services, Phoenix, AZ.Alicia Skinner Cook is a Professor, Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include grief and loss issues related to relocation. She received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University.Peggy S. Berger received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. She is an Associate Professor, Department of Consumer Science & Housing, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include socioeconomic issues related to geographic mobility and to gender.Judith Powell received her Ed.D. from Oklahoma State University. She is a Professor, Child & Family Studies, and Head, Department of Home Economics, Division of Home Economics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071. Her research interests include parent-child relations and effects of relocation on families.     

Adolescent drug use, psychological distress, and physical symptoms

The longitudinal interrelationships among general drug use, psychological distress, and physical symptoms were investigated in a three wave panel study of a community sample of adolescents interviewed when they were 12, 15, and 18 years of age. Results did not provide any support for the hypothesis that adolescents use drugs in general to cope with pre-existing psychological distress and physical symptoms. In contrast, the results supported the hypothesis that general drug use contributes to physical and psychological impairments over time. However, such drug-induced psychological distress and physical symptoms only occurred in later adolescence (from ages 15 to 18), and no evidence of impairments due to general drug use or specific alcohol use was found in early adolescence (from ages 12 to 15). Psychological distress and physical symptoms influenced each other over time, and physical symptoms partially mediated longitudinal changes in psychological distress. However, general drug use did not mediate any longitudinal changes in psychological distress and physical symptoms.     

Quiet ego,self-regulatory skills,and perceived stress in college students

Objective: Examine the unique contributions of self-control and grit subscales (perseverance, interest consistency) as potential mediators of the relationship between quiet ego characteristics and less perceived stress in college students. Participants: Data from 1117 college students were collected between October, 2015 and May, 2016. Methods: The sample was split randomly into exploratory and confirmatory samples. Multiple mediator models were tested with PROCESS module (SPSS v. 24) in both samples. Results: Hypotheses were largely confirmed with self-control fully mediating the link between quiet ego and perceived stress in both samples. Conclusions: Although many self-regulatory constructs may argue for their positive impact on college student outcomes, interventions that strengthen self-control, and not grit, may be most promising to reduce perceived stress. Further, interventions to strengthen quiet ego characteristics may be beneficial for strengthening self-control in college students.     

Family violence and substance use: the perceived effects of substance use within gay male relationships

The purpose of this research endeavor is to examine the life situations of gay men where domestic violence was present. The current article expands on previously published works by examining respondents' perceptions of what role alcohol and other drug use plays in causing substance use-related domestic violence. Three different perceptions emerged from the data and are presented here. First, drugs and alcohol use was perceived to be causally related to the domestic violence our respondents endured. Second, our respondents believed substance abuse resulted from the violence--it was used as a coping mechanism. Finally, many respondents did not believe there was any association between substance abuse and violence. The need for further in-depth data related to the relationship between drugs, alcohol, and domestic violence is noted.     

Sociocognitive factors and perceived consequences associated with alternative forms of alcohol use

Objective: Popular media have highly publicized alternative forms of alcohol use (eg, eyeballing, inhaling alcohol vapor) among college students as a growing concern, possibly associated with severe health risks. Formative research indicates rarity of use. Participants and Methods: College students (Study 1: n = 411; Study 2: n = 687) completed an online survey. Results: Findings confirmed infrequent use of alternative methods of alcohol use and low likelihood of trying them in the future (Study 1). Participants indicated varied reasons for possibly trying each alternative form of alcohol use, but consistently perceived consequences for all forms (ie, health concerns), as well as very low perceived approval from close friends (Study 2). Social and environmental contextual factors associated with possible use were also explored. Conclusions: College students in the current sample have low prevalence and future likelihood of alternative forms of alcohol use. This information can be used by campus health practitioners to promote accurate normative data for alternative forms of alcohol use. However, with increased perceptions of approval and media presence, future trends could change. Findings revealed important risk factors for these potentially hazardous forms of alcohol use.     

Adolescent substance use and family-based risk and protective factors: a literature review

Adolescent substance use has become a serious concern nationwide. Although there are many ways of viewing adolescent substance use, family influence has been established as one of the strongest sources of risk and protection. A review of the literature indicated relevant theories for understanding adolescent substance use and specific family-based variables influencing adolescent substance use. In general, there seems to be a relationship between adolescent substance use and family-based risk and protective factors. Relevant theories identified in the literature review include family systems theory, social cognitive theory, social control theory, and strain theory. Specific family-based risk and protective factors include family relationships such as with siblings and parents and family characteristics such as ethnicity and religious backgrounds. Future implications for research and prevention/intervention in relation to family-based risk and protective factors are discussed.     

The relation of economic factors to perceived stress in mobile families

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between objective and subjective measures of economic well-being, amount of and satisfaction with control, and perceived stress level of subjects, who have relocated with their families within the past year. Both males and females indicate more stress if their financial condition is worse following the move than before, if their employment status is not satisfying, and when they have little control over their lives and are not satisfied with their level of control. Stress is negatively related to satisfaction with the specific aspects of economic situation studied for both males and females with limited exception.Peggy S. Berger received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Consumer Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include socioeconomic issues related to geographic mobility and to gender, and work and family issues.Judith Powell received her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. She is a Professor of Child and Family Studies, and Head of the Department of Home Economics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071. Her research interests include parent-child relations and effects of relocation on families.Alicia Skinner Cook received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University. She is a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Her research interests include grief and loss issues, family stress, and adjustment to relocation.     

Emotional intelligence: a moderator of perceived alcohol peer norms and alcohol use

This study investigated the roles of emotional intelligence and perceived alcohol peer norms in relation to alcohol use. Two hundred and forty-two undergraduates completed the Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms (Core Institute, 1997) and the Emotional Intelligence Scale (Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, & Cooper, 1998). Contrary to emerging research findings, emotional intelligence (EI) was not directly associated with the study's alcohol-use variables. However, the moderating role of EI was supported in the relationship between perceived alcohol peer norms and students' alcohol use. Among college students with lower EI, there was a significantly stronger association between these variables, compared to students with higher EI.     

The perceived effects of drug messages on use patterns in adolescents

Following a survey of over 5,000 students in north central Idaho and southeast Washington, an interviewing strategy was implemented with 223 adolescents randomly selected by their principals. The strategy was designed to learn: 1) which sources have utility and credibility with youth in providing drug information; 2) whether different message content and delivery style have differential effects upon that group; and 3) whether widely held perceptions voiced by parents and teachers about their ineffectiveness as information sources were accurate. Double-blind interviews, arranged to protect respondent anonymity, were conducted by trained interviewers from a research methods class. No interview was held when either an interviewer or respondent knew the other. Among the important findings of the study were that: 1) parents and teachers are trusted, credible sources of drug information; 2) doctors, nurses, law officers, and clergy are also credible but not visible to youth; 3) the evil media and celebrity fears of parents and teachers are largely ungrounded in adolescent perception; and 4) factual information from credible sources emphasizing the range of types of negative consequences associated with drug use can exert powerful effects upon adolescents' reported personal use of drugs.     

Differences between actual and perceived student norms: an examination of alcohol use, drug use, and sexual behavior

Researchers in the social norms area have previously focused primarily on alcohol consumption, paying comparatively less attention to drug use and sexual behavior. The major purposes of this study were to (1) compare perceptions of peer norms in the areas of alcohol use, drug use, and sexual behavior with actual behavior and (2) determine if a relationship existed between a student's perceptions of normative behavior and a student's actual behavior. Participants were 833 college students at a large, public university in the Northeast. Study participants overestimated alcohol use, drug use, and sexual behavior among their peers. There was also a positive relationship between actual behavior and perceived peer norms, although the effect sizes for all behaviors were small to moderate. The authors provide further support for the tenets of social norms theory and suggest that social norms interventions are appropriate both campus-wide and to targeted high-risk groups.     

Family/work roles' relation to perceived stress: Do gender and ethnicity matter?

This exploratory research examines whether gender and ethnic differences exist in family- and work-related variables that best predict perceived stress. The Anglo male (N=115) and female (N=199) and Mexican-American male (N=35) and female (N=85) respondents each had the roles of employee, spouse, and parent. Data were collected by mail questionnaire from state-classified employees at the three land-grant universities in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming as part of Cooperative Regional Research Project W-167. Regression analysis indicates that role overload is a significant predictor of stress for Anglo males and females and Mexican-American females, thus providing some support for the role strain theory, which suggests that increasing the number of roles drains personal resources and may increase stress. Satisfaction with family roles enters regression equations as significant predictors for two sample groups. Other variables enter only one of the four regression equations; thus ethnicity and gender differences are found in the variables predicting perceived stress and should be considered in future research in this area. The research was funded by the Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Stations as part of Cooperative Regional Research Project, W-167, “Work, Stress, and Families.” Her research interests include issues related to balancing work and family and to family resource management. She received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include grief and loss issues and family support systems. She received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University. His research interest is minority families, and his Ph.D. is from Florida State University. Her research interest is Latino family functioning. Her Ph.D. is from New Mexico State University. His research interest is human resource development emphasizing ranching families. He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University.     

Parent-adolescent concordance on perceived need for mental health services and its impact on service use

Mental health service underutilization among African American adolescents is well documented, yet not fully understood. Discordance between adolescents and their parents on perceived need for seeing a counselor for an emotional need or psychiatrist for psychiatric or medical services may help explain low service use among this population. This exploratory, prospective study examined the relationship between parent-adolescent concordance on perceived need for emotional counseling or psychiatric services and mental health service use. The relationships between gender and perceived service need and concordance and adolescent severity of depressive symptoms were also explored. Parent-adolescent dyads (n = 108) receiving community-based adolescent outpatient mental health services responded to interview questions concerning their perception of whether an emotional counselor and a psychiatrist were needed in the past six months. Findings revealed low parent-adolescent concordance on perceived need for an emotional counselor and a psychiatrist. A greater proportion of adolescents reported a need than parents. There was no association between gender and perceived need for an emotional counselor and a psychiatrist. Lower rates of parent-adolescent concordance were found among youth reporting elevated depressive symptoms compared to youth reporting normal range symptoms. Concordant dyads kept a higher number of appointments than discordant dyads. Implications for clinical social work practice and future research are discussed.     

Media use and political participation reconsidered: the actual and perceived influence of political campaign messages

This study examines the actual and perceived effects of political advertising on the voting intention of less-experienced eligible voters. Elaborating on the demobilization, stimulation, and influence of presumed influence hypotheses, this study examines the effects of political disaffection, presumed influence, and political efficacy on political mobilization. The study analyzes the effects of political advertisements on 311 college voters. The results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) suggest that instead of demobilizing turnout, self-reported exposure to political advertisements boosts young voters' sense of political efficacy and stimulates their political participation by raising the degree to which they perceive that campaign advertisements affect other voters.     

Racial identity, racial discrimination, perceived stress, and psychological distress among African American young adults

This study examines the direct and indirect relationships among racial identity, racial discrimination, perceived stress, and psychological distress in a sample of 555 African American young adults. A prospective study design was used to assess the influence of two dimensions of racial identity attitudes (i.e., centrality and public regard) on other study variables to investigate the relationship between racial identity attitudes and psychological distress. The results show some evidence of a direct relationship between racial centrality and psychological distress, as well as evidence of indirect relationships for both centrality and public regard through the impact of racial discrimination and perceived stress. In addition, racial centrality was both a risk factor for experiencing discrimination and a protective factor in buffering the negative impact of discrimination on psychological distress. Results are discussed within the context of identifying multiple pathways to psychological well-being for African American young adults within the context of racial discrimination.